Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-28
CLEANING THE STREETS.
A Talk With Capt. Eugene Griffin, Of
the Engineer Department.

As so many complaints have been made Of late to
THE STAR Of the way the streets are swept and
cleaned, reporter Intercepted Captain Griffin OF
the Engineer Department, to-day upon the mat
ter. He prefaced his remarks with the statement
that it does not necessarily follow because the
people md the streets in dirty condition that
they have not been cleaned. Very often it happens
that between the time when the thOroughfares
are cleaned at night and the following morning
they become dirty, Uttered with paper, tin cans
and other stun, but that is no proof that the
streets were not swept. GAS has been stated by
one gentleman" he continued, sit is often caused
by persons sweeping the dirt and rubbish from
their houses into the street. over which it is after
ward scattered by wind and vehicles"
THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT DUST
caused by the sweeperS may have originated from
the fact that very often there Is too little water
used in sprinkling, and again because when the
streets are very dry and hot, If the sprinkler and
sweeper keep too far apart, the water evaporates
quickly, and OF course there Is DUST
SIT is the earnest endeavOr OF the District gov
eminent" says Captain Grimm, 'to obviate these
difficulties and Inconvenience, and for this pur-
pose two inspectors are employed, whose duty it
Is to see that the work of cleaning and sweeping
the streets * properly performed great
tractor to clean each and all the streets every
night, and that the reason why some are not
cleaned Oftener than once week is because the
contractor and the District officials are In
CONSPIRACY no DEFRAUD
the people. The fact is, that the contractor
agrees to sweep a certain number Of square yards
OF streets so many times a week. and, in accord
ance with schedule prepared for his guidance
The amount OF street surface and the number OF
times per week each sestiOn Is to be swept are
arranged In accordance with the amount OF
money appropriated for the purpose by Congress.
the contractor fails to sweep, clean, or sprinkle
the required streets at and within the time Spe-
Cited by the schedule, he Is made to lose the
money which otherwise he would receive for his
labor.
THR CONTRACTOR SUFFERS FOR ANY NEGLIGENCE.
The truth Of this statement Capt Griffin vouched
for by reference to his ''street-sweeping" book
wherein THE STAR reporter saw on nearly every
page that deductions had been noted against the
money TO be paid Filbert, the contractor for such
reasons as improperly spr1nkled, Improperly
swept" &c. In one month the amount OF these
deductions was over 500. AT this season of the
year 1t is especially dif6cult to keep the streets
clean. There Is so much dust and so much wind
To scatter il everywhere.
AS TO THE NOISE MADE BY THE swKEPERs,
Capt. Gfif1n says that is matter entirely for the
police department. Next year, however, that diff
Guilty Will be removed by the insertion of clause
In the contracts The captain said very emphati
caly that IL the contractor does not do his duty he
should be removed; but added that In this case he
seemed TO be endeavOring to do II.
In closing the captain stated that he has not
lately received complaints from any one about
this matter and that all lie has seen has appeared
In the newspapers.